Arrangement & intro of the song - concepts
Lesson time: (1min 14sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Produce a killer pop track
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Understanding Song Arrangements and Structure
Hey guys,
In this section, we're going to be looking at the arrangements and structure of the song.
Key Questions to Consider
What I mean by that is:
- Did we follow any traditional structures?
- Are we using verse, pre-chorus, and chorus?
- Do we have any break sections?
- Do we have any drops?
- What's our middle eight doing?
Song Structure Overview
In this case, we followed a fairly conventional structure:
- Verse
- Chorus
- Post-chorus section (that repeats around twice)
Variations in the Middle Eight
When it comes to the middle eight, where things are varied, we'll be touching on a few of the elements within those parts:
- How they vary
- What elements are used throughout the whole song to keep everything coherent
Importance of Coherence
This coherence is really important for two reasons:
- It keeps your listener interested.
- It provides enough variety so they don't get bored while listening.
So, I'll walk you through this now, and I hope you find it interesting!
About the instructor
Paul Whalley is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter with a deliberately broad sound. He spent years on the road as a touring session musician with artists including Mumford & Sons and Ellie Goulding. Classically trained, he holds an undergraduate degree in instrumental performance and a Master's in composition from the Guildhall School of Music. Since moving from touring into production and songwriting he has worked with artists such as NAO, Wretch 32 and Nina Nesbitt, and played on top-40 records around the world, including Little Mix's 'Shout Out to My Ex'. He is based at Tileyard Studios in north London, where he writes and produces for major UK labels and develops new artists. On MusicGurus he and Emmi Green deconstruct a pop record from scratch - every arrangement and production decision laid bare - for songwriters and producers who want to hear how hit records are really built. read more